Aberfan, South Wales. Picture taken 1pm on 21st October 1966. Picture taken from the air, shows the top of the mountain and the mining spoil that has run down the hillside destroying the school and part of the town. The Aberfan disaster was a catastrophic collapse of a colliery spoil tip in the Welsh village of Aberfan, near Merthyr Tydfil, on Friday 21st OCtober 1966. It was caused by a build-up of water in the accumulated rock and shale, which suddenly started to slide downhill in the form of slurry and engulfed The Pantglas Junior School below, on 21st October 1966, killing 116 children
Image details
Contributor:
Trinity Mirror / Mirrorpix / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
2HT2YREFile size:
61.3 MB (3.4 MB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
4035 x 5310 px | 34.2 x 45 cm | 13.5 x 17.7 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
21 October 1966Photographer:
MirrorpixMore information:
This image could have imperfections as it’s either historical or reportage.
Aberfan, South Wales. Picture taken 1pm on 21st October 1966. Picture taken from the air, shows the top of the mountain and the mining spoil that has run down the hillside destroying the school and part of the town. The Aberfan disaster was a catastrophic collapse of a colliery spoil tip in the Welsh village of Aberfan, near Merthyr Tydfil, on Friday 21st OCtober 1966. It was caused by a build-up of water in the accumulated rock and shale, which suddenly started to slide downhill in the form of slurry and engulfed The Pantglas Junior School below, on 21st October 1966, killing 116 children and 28 adults. The original school site is now a memorial garden. Picture taken 21st October 1966 The events of Friday, 21 October 1966 Tip no. 7, which was 500 feet above the village of Aberfan, near Merthyr Tydfil, started to slide at 9.15 am. It was the last day before half-term at the Pantglas schools below. It first hit a farm, killing everybody in it. Then it engulfed Pantglas Junior School, killing 109 children and five teachers. Only a handful of the children aged between seven and ten survived. The tip comprised colliery waste, liquefied by the springs underneath. The liquefied flow slide of about 100, 000 tons of slurry lost energy and solidified again after hitting the school and neighbouring houses. A total of 144 people died. 116 children and 28 adults